


From A Dumpster?

by Intruality_Overlord



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Marlow - Freeform, Other, Trans Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25256440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intruality_Overlord/pseuds/Intruality_Overlord
Summary: Remus gives Patton a baby he claims he found in a dumpster, and Patton raises them with Remus helping wherever he can.
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 3
Kudos: 81
Collections: The Suspicious Baby Chronicles





	From A Dumpster?

"I found them in a dumpster. I think their parents abandoned them," Remus had said. And suddenly a baby was being plopped into Patton's arms, clumsily swaddled in a lime green blanket. He quickly scrambled to hold them properly, supporting their head.

Aww, what an adorable baby!

...

Why was there a baby?!

Floundering in his mixture of confusion, panic, and daaawwww look at their cute lil' chubby hands— Patton looked to Remus with eyes demanding further explanation.

"Well..." Remus began as he casually waltzed into Patton's house. "I was out doing my weekly dumpster diving, and, well, ya know— found them," he said simply. "Why me?" Patton's eyes begged since he was too boggled to be coherent. "My first thought was to bring him to you! You love kids, don't you?" Remus said, barreling on, "And you practically raised your little brothers, and you did a brilliant job— Virgil and Thomas still call you dad sometimes," Remus's voice was edging on pleading.

"Wher-where are their parents?" Patton asked dumbly, brain not processing any of this.

"They were—" Remus's arms flailed randomly for a moment trying to get the words out. "Just— gone! Gone, no idea," he said, beginning to pace. "I-I-I— I couldn't just lea-eave them," he mumbled.

"Remus..." Patton began hesitantly—

"I'm not cut out to be a dad— I couldn't think of anyone more perfect than you," Remus gushed.

Patton blink. "Who said anything about you being a dad?" He said, his voice twisted in confusion into an unrecognisably high pitched tone.

"I— you— just I— don't trust the system, you know me."

"Bringing them to the orphanage is the right thing to do, Remus. I don't think I'm ready for a baby either."

"C'mon, you're more than capable—"

"You don't know that!"

"I believe in you though!" Remus said, exasperated, yet with a smile the shone as strongly as his confidence in Patton. "If you don't look after them, I-I will, but we both know that'll be a disaster..." he said with a breathy chuckle.

"Maybe," he mumbled, not wanting to outright agree. Patton released a heavy sigh. Realising he was being too loud, Patton lowered his voice and asked, "Are... are they a boy or a girl as far as we know?"

"A boy..."

...

"I don't know, Remu—"

"Just look at their little face, please, I know you'll love 'em."

Patton finally looked down at the baby he cradled. He instantly softened. Grazing their forehead, Patton brushed their blonde wisps of hair that would slowly caramelise as they grew. They had a button nose perfect for booping. And their eyes. Right now they were an icy blue, but soon they'd deepened into a hazel green. What wouldn't change soon (or maybe ever) was that their eyes were so big and round. Doe eyes brimming with curiosity (proven by their chubby little grabby hands). The little fella had olive skin with a pink undertone. They were so tiny they must've been basically a newborn. Barely days old.

"They were, um, cold when I found them. Obviously, since they were... in a dumpster," Remus broke his train of thought. (Oddly, the baby was remarkably clean, now that Patton thought about it. So was Remus. The thought was gone in a blink.) "So I quickly got them a blanket and some other stuff," Remus hurriedly continued acting exaggeratedly aloof. "It's all in the car, should I bring it in, help you set up? Good? Good," and he was dashing outside to bring in his haul before Patton could object.

Oh goodness, Patton was really surprise adopting a child. The baby's tiny whittle fingers were batting at his cat hoodie sleeves dangling over them, mystified. Safely readjusting his hold, Patton held out his pinkie to them. The little guy grabbed at him, his whole itty bitty hand wrapping around the finger. Seemingly not knowing what else to do, he looked back up at Patton.

Oh dear. He was too precious. Patton could already feel himself becoming attached, his paternal instincts activating, and any thoughts of objecting to the whole situation vanished.

By the time Patton had suddenly come to terms with having a new little life in his own, Remus had brought in his haul and was beginning to assemble an IKEA crib smackdab in the middle of the living room. Patton just watched from where'd he'd settled down on the couch.

The true realisation of what was happening would probably set in tomorrow.

"Right, is that everything?" Remus said once he'd constructed a makeshift nursery in what would be world record time if there was a world record for that (...there probably was). Counting off everything they'd need in his head, Patton hummed thoughtfully. It took him a while to think. His brain was frazzled— this was all going too fast. There was no baby just an hour or so ago. Finally, Patton asked, "What about food? Formula milk? And a bottle?"

"O-oh," Remus stuttered, completely thrown for a second. "Right, yeah, yeah— I forgot I'll go get some quick."

When Remus was back half an hour later, far too many tins of baby formula in hand and multiple different sized baby bottles (how was he supposed to know which to get?), the sun was starting to set. Most of it was packed away in cupboards, except one tin. Since Patton's arms were still occupied, he directed Remus on how to make the formula milk. Poor little guy was probably hungry, mewling unhappily like that. He didn't seem to be a very loud baby so far, but maybe he was just tired.

As Remus stirred in the boiled water, he asked, "Will he be okay with just fake milk and not breast milk?"

"He should be. He will."

"Are you sure?"

"Either way, it'll have to do, won't it?"

...

Remus finished making the formula milk, checked it wasn't too hot, then held the bottle to the baby. Happily, they immediately latched onto it. The little one happily drank it slowly, their eyes nearly slipping closed in contentment. Utterly adorable.

(Remus gingerly held the bottle in place all the while, wearing an indiscernible smile. A very un-Remus-y one. His eyes didn't have their usual chaotic spark.)

"I wonder what their name is," Patton pondered aloud. "Marlow," Remus said very quickly. "Marlow?" Patton said incredulously, squinting at Remus. How would he know? It's not like he knew the parents (He hoped. He really hoped. Patton refused to partake in a kidnapping). "Well, yeah! They look like a Marlow, don't they?" Oh.

Patton peered down at the little guy again with his big round eyes and his chubby little fingers pawing at the warm milk bottle, and he couldn't really argue with it.

"What? Can you think of something better?" Remus challenged. After a pause, Patton softly shook his head. "No... I suppose not. They do kinda look like a Marlow," he conceded. "I'll have to call them something anyway."

Remus silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Later, when Marlow was safely tucked away in their new crib sound asleep, and Remus was shifting foot to foot in the front doorway, he meekly suggested, "So... would you like me to stay over? And help?" His voice squeaked hopefully. Patton shook his head. "No, no, it's okay."

"Oh," Remus whispered, shoulders slumping. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I can't handle 'em. Goodnight—"

"But I can help—"

"Please don't take it the wrong way," Patton cut in with a timid, apologetic smile, "but I really don't think you'd be good with a baby."

"Right... of course."

"Don't worry about him Remus, Marlow is in safe hands," he reassured. "You go get some sleep." He rested a comforting hand on Remus's shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"I... O-Okay." Remus backed out the doorway, nearly tripping on the short staircase. "Goodnight." And he turned tail home. His head hung as if tied to a noose.

•••••

Patton awoke with a start to crying.

Why could he hear a baby crying?!

Oh, there was a baby in the living room.

Why was there a baby?!

Wait, Marlow, right.

Groggily, Patton trundled down stairs like a zombie. It must've been three in the morning. This better not become too routine.

Marlow was screaming bloody murder.

Patton lost track of time trying everything his mom taught him or that he remembered working on his little brothers. No matter what Patton did, Marlow wouldn't stop crying. He got him to quiet down enough that the neighbors wouldn't call the police, but still, Marlow kept crying their little heart out.

Eventually, Patton gave up and resigned to his post beside the crib. "You just miss your parents, don't you?" He whispered. He idly brushed the soft wisps of hair crowning Marlow hoping it would calm him.

"I'm not them, but I promise," Patton whispered, "I'll love you like my own."

Marlow inevitably tired himself out with their crying, and fell asleep. Patton snuggly tucked them back into their crib. Before he could convince his legs to move, Patton fell asleep beside them on the couch.

•••••

_"I found them in a dumpster. I think their parents abandoned them,"_ Remus had said. It was close enough to the truth, wasn't it?

...He already missed his little guy, so damn much...

Remus cried himself to sleep that night too.


End file.
